A Hero Moves Forward
by Lunar Skky
Summary: Set five years after Slowly Forward, follow along as Bella and Edward start a new chapter of their lives.
1. Five Years Later

**It's been a while since we've seen this characters so I suggest you read Slowly Forward first just to remind yourselves of all the ups and downs that Bella has been through. Or don't. I'm open for any questions that you may have and feel free to leave suggestions for where you think this story should go. I have some ideas but…give the people want they want, right? I'M BACK!**

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 **Chapter 1: FIVE YEARS LATER**

 **BPOV**

 _"Dearest Isabella,_

 _We have endured so much, you and I. today, we have been together for five wonderful years and I couldn't be happier to have known you for each and every one of them. Before we get to our celebrations, I'm going to send you on a treasure hunt. Emmett has your first clue. Go find him._

 _Love,_

 _Edward."_

I woke up to that note on Edward's pillow, and I couldn't stop smiling. The past five years flew by, to the point that if Edward's note hadn't reminded me just how long we'd been together, I wouldn't have realized it. _I wonder what he has planned? He's such a romantic and I couldn't love him any more than I already do._

Getting off my bed, I went about my daily routine, putting on a little makeup for when I would finally see Edward.

I chose a lavender sundress that cut off mid-thigh. I didn't know what he had planned so I needed to be dressed for any eventuality. My hair was twisted up and off of my neck. I was finally ready to begin my treasure hunt, well, as soon as I found Emmett.

"Em? Em, where are you? I'm ready for my first clue!" The hallway was deserted, and his and Rosalie's bedroom door was ajar; the room empty.

Continuing through the house, I went into the kids' playroom. Empty. Opposite the playroom was Emmett's home office; also, empty. The only other place Emmett could possibly be would be the kitchen. I didn't even think to look in the kids' bedroom because it was a school day so logically that room should have been empty. Only as I was a few footsteps past the bedroom door, I heard movement. _Rose kept the kids home? And she didn't tell me?_

I had been working as Rosalie Hale-Cullen's nanny for the past five, almost six years, in charge of her first-born son, Tyler. It had started as something temporary, to earn money while I finished my Bachelor's degree. All was well. She met Emmett and I met Edward; we were both happy. Then, she got pregnant with her daughter just as I was entering my final year of college. At the same time my mother, Renee was also pregnant but in an inexplicable coma. My mother and I never had the best relationship, but we had finally begun to get to a civil place. So, when I heard the news it was a severe shock and I dropped everything and went to the hospital to see her, not even considering that Edward would have been worried. When I landed in D.C. and heard the news I almost had a mental breakdown. He had been distractedly trying to find me and hadn't seen the other vehicle coming and had fallen into a coma.

It had all been too much for me and I decided to take some time off of school and become Rose's full time nanny. There was nothing I could do for my mother while she was in the hospital besides visit every so often. It had been up to me to decide whether to induce labor early and try to save Renee, or let her carry the baby full term and possibly deteriorate even further. I stayed on as a nanny because it soothed me through it all. Emmely and Tyler were my happy place; a place apart from my guilt over Edward's crash, my anger over my mother's secret pregnancy, but most of all it was my escape from all of the scary reality of it all. I never went back to school and I never moved out of Rose's house, choosing instead to stay on as her nanny. I knew that eventually that would not be enough for me, but until then I was content. I had even done a few online classes to be able to home school them efficiently. I still needed a few more credits but then it would be official.

I opened the door to Emmely and Tyler's room and found Emmett stood in the middle of the room with a single rose and a cream envelope in his hands.

"Morning Bells. This is for you. Oh, and I need your phone." He had his signature goofy grin on his face, his eyes twinkling with mirth. _Does he know what Edward has planned? Does everyone?_

"You've found Emmett. Congratulations," I read aloud. "Head to our favorite café. There you'll find Rose with your second clue and money to pay for your breakfast. Chop, chop, I'm missing you already." I blushed as I got to that part. _Such a sap._

I thanked Emmett and rushed to my car. At the mention of breakfast my stomach rumbled. The clear blue sky bolstered my mood and I knew that, for all the years that I lived, this day will forever be etched into my memory. It took about ten minutes to get to the café, for once the traffic was on my side.

Before I could ask to be seated I spotted Rose at a patio table. She hadn't seen me yet as her back was to me, so I took a moment to steady myself and observe her at the same time. She was looking down at her phone and I couldn't read her body language. I wished that I could see her face.

"Hey," I greeted. She shoved her phone into her handbag so quickly that I almost got whiplash just from the back wind of it. _What is she hiding? She must have been talking to Edward_. That was the only logical explanation that I could come up with. I longed to hear his voice. We hadn't spoken since he started his shift at the hospital yesterday morning.

"Hey. Do you want your clue before or after you eat?" _Which would make me less anxious, waiting to find out what the clue was or knowing and having to wait until after I ate?_ Either way I didn't think that I would be able to eat much.

"After. I already know what I want. Have you decided?" She patted her stomach gently trying to decide what the baby would allow her to stomach this early in the day. She had just gotten into her second trimester and her morning sickness with this one had been the worst by far. Neither she nor Emmett had planned on having any more kids but these things just happened sometimes, birth control or not. Bella couldn't wait to find out what they were having. This one they were keeping as a surprise for everyone.

Ten minutes later, our food had finally arrived, but I couldn't wait any longer so I forced Rose to give me the clue. _'Why don't you drop in to see my folks? Esme would love to join you on your journey.'_ No clue, just an instruction. It didn't make me any less excited to get going, but at least I knew that there wasn't anything to figure out. Besides, if Esme was involved, I didn't imagine that the next part would be too taxing. She wouldn't admit it, but her joints were beginning to pain her every now and again.

The food was delicious, not that I spent much time savoring the flavors. I wanted to be done with eating and on the way to my next clue. Rose and I said our goodbyes and I got into my car and drove the few miles to Esme and Carlisle's house. The radio distracted me enough that I didn't drive over the speed limit and I breathed a sigh of relief when I finally turned off the ignition.

 _Time for clue number three. There better not be too many more because I am ready for some Edward time._

 ** _A/N: THANK YOU! Those are the only words that I can say to you right now. Even while I deleted stories, stopped posting, follow and favorite notifications kept coming in. I've broken out of whatever it was that kept my creativity captive and I am ready to face fanfiction again. This is my journey back to you. I hope you continue to stick with me through this. Happy New Year, and happy new Lunar._**


	2. The Clues Keep Coming

_**CHAPTER 2 – The Clues Keep Coming**_

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 **BPOV**

Esme stood on the porch with a brilliant smile on her face, handbag at the ready. I didn't even get the chance to get out of the car to greet her; as soon as I turned off the engine she was already making her way over to me. Her teal turtle neck sweater was tucked into sleek black trousers making her look ready for a casual business meeting which made me very curious about what Edward had planned for us to do.

"Hello sweetheart. How's Hannah," she asked me. Hannah-belle Truth Swan was my little sister; Renee's little miracle baby. She had fought to come here, and she has made her presence known ever since. My little firecracker. Her sweet face came into my mind's eye and I couldn't help but smile.

"Last I saw her she was causing mischief with Tyler and Emmely. I don't know where she is, where any of the kids are actually." It made me nervous when I didn't know the exact whereabouts of any of the kids. Ever since Edward's accident, and since Renee, I've had problems with anxiety. Some days I managed it better than others. I've even resorted to seeing a therapist for going on three years now. I tried not to let my anxiety take over now, but it was hard.

As much as I knew that Rose would make sure they were all safe, my mind kept telling me that something horrible would happen to them if they weren't with either of us. Someone could have taken them, they could have gotten into a car accident, or they could have gotten so sick that they needed to go to the hospital. Anything could happen and I would be powerless to help because I wasn't there to help. My chest instantly felt tighter just thinking about it now. I needed to calm down or this whole day would be ruined.

"I think they're with Edward if I'm not mistaken. But I haven't seen her in so long. She must be as tall as Emmely by now?" I breathed out knowing that they were safe with Edward, wherever they were. I'd managed to hold off my panic at not having tabs on them so far, so Esme's reassurance came at the perfect time. I then unlocked my phone and showed her pictures of the two girls playing together. It was a fortunate miracle that they were so close in age so they had a ready-made partner in crime whenever Tyler felt himself too mature to play along. He didn't mind sharing a room with both girls, most of the time, but recently he kept saying how much he couldn't wait until his parents closed on a new house where he would have his own bedroom and bathroom.

She cooed over them for a bit and then opened her handbag to give me my third clue. This one was much longer than the previous two and I giddily unfolded the crisp paper.

' _You've eaten so I know that you're in an even better mood. Esme is going to drive you to the next location so surrender your keys. Yes, I know how much you don't like people driving your car, but Esme promises to be a very safe and conscientious driver. She won't hurt your baby._

 _Now that that's out of the way, I hope you're in the mood for some pampering. I want you relaxed and flower scented by the time you get to me. So, switch seats and get ready to drift._

 _See you soon. I love you and I miss you.'_

I looked over and saw Esme's apologetic facial expression. She knew the effort it took for me to surrender my keys. Before I gave up the little control I had left during this hunt, I put on my mellow playlist. I played it whenever I felt myself losing touch with my inner calm. They were all songs that I couldn't help but sing along with, at the top of my lungs, and giggle at the images that the words conjured.

We chatted about the kids some more and I felt my anxiety waning further. It never fully left, but it was at a level that left me able to function normally. It also helped that Esme promised to video call the kids once we got through our first session at the spa. I had something to look forward to.

"When are we going to start planning our summer trip," I asked her. For the past two years, we would all choose a destination to spend at least part of the summer vacation together as a family. Even Charlie and Sue would tag along. This would be the latest we'd ever waited to start planning, but I put it down to Rosalie's pregnancy. Normally we would have settled on the hotel or villa and even the Independence Day menu. "It's only two months to go." We would fly out to our destination in the last week of June and come home sometime in the middle of July. Sometimes, Esme and Carlisle would extend their vacation well into August.

"I was thinking we could do that next week. Edward had me pretty busy helping him plan this little adventure. Rose should be off work on Wednesday. How does that sound for you?" I looked at her properly for the first time today, and it dawned on me that she wasn't wearing any makeup. She didn't often go makeup free, not that she really needed it; her skin was clear with only a few visible lines betraying her age. Esme was still quite beautiful. Her hair was loosely curled about her face, grey hairs visible throughout the ringlets.

"Wednesday sounds great. Sooooo, wanna tell me what else Edward has planned for today? The suspense is killing me." My hopes weren't high that she would tell me anything, but that didn't stop me from trying. She slowed the car and smirked at me. That was all the answer I was going to get.

"We're here."

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 **A/N : Hello all. I'm still here. This one is a bit shorter than the first but, don't worry the words are still flowing so we're all set for Chapter 3. Let me know what you think! Until I have a big enough buffer then updates will be every other Saturday. See you in two weeks!**

 **Lunar ^_^**


	3. Mary-Alice Brandon

**CHAPTER 3: Mary-Alice Brandon**

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 **BPOV**

"We're here," Esme said to me. All conversation now ended as she led me inside the spa. She didn't need to do any more than that because it was at that point that I saw my best friend in the whole world, Alice. I no longer took notice of the beautiful building, or the anticipation for the pampering to come, I was too consumed by the happiness of seeing Alice.

 _What was Alice doing here? She was supposed to be on tour with Jasper's band, winding down after Fashion Week mania. Alice's version of winding down has always been different than everyone else's._

I ran to her and hugged her almost to the point of pain. Any casual observer would think that we hadn't seen each other in years, but in fact, we had spent the summer in each other's constant company. Though she missed my birthday just last week, the first one we hadn't spent together since she moved out to New York two years ago, so we were making up for lost time.

Hand in hand, we walked into the spa, and was greeted by the receptionist.

"Is this everyone in your party, Miss," she asked Alice, with her too bright smile plastered on her face. Alice nodded in confirmation and we were led to a private room where we were told to await our attendant for the day. Alice and I hadn't stopped holding on to each other while Esme watched on amusedly. There was no guaranteeing that either Alice or I would be on the same continent from any given moment to the next.

When our attendant came in, she was joined by three young women, whom she informed us were to be our masseuses. She read out the different scented oil options that we could choose from and leaves with a promise to return in an hour, as per the strict instructions she was given by Edward. He was leaving nothing to chance it would seem.

I chose freesia and lemon infused coconut oil, even opting for a head massage as well. I intended to make full use of the relaxing services at my disposal.

 **TWO HOURS LATER**

We were seated in the hot tub waiting for our attendant to hand over the next clue. Initially I had thought Alice would have been the one to give me the clue, since that's the way it worked up until this point. But no, I was at the mercy of a stranger. Not that I'm complaining. Edward probably knew that I would have pestered Alice until she caved and told me way before time. He was forcing me to relax and enjoy the moment.

"Miss Swan? I have your clue here for you whenever you're ready. It was a pleasure working with you and Mr. Cullen." She walked away as she said this, having placed the envelope on the wooden table that holds our clothes. It took everything in me to not immediately run, sloshing water all over the travertine tiles, and rip into the envelope. But I restrained myself, because I knew that as soon as I had the next clue in hand, the others would be forced to cut their hot tub time short.

 _Five more minutes. I'll give them five more minutes but then it's back to the chase._

But, Alice being Alice, sensed my impatience and did what I couldn't find it within myself to do. She announced that the spa day was over and that it was time for me to look at the third clue. I smiled at her gratefully and slowly made my way to the piece of paper that would tell me where to go next.

It smelled of his cologne. Had he been here the whole time, waiting for the right moment to send out the next clue? Or was this place so efficient that they found a bottle of Edward's preferred scent and spritzed it on to add an extra layer to the moment? Whichever, I appreciated the small piece of him that it gave me.

Folded inside the thick piece of paper was a smaller note with Tyler's haphazard scrawl. Saving Edward's for last, I read Ty's message first.

'We playing nice. You come find us now?'

A lone tear fell down my cheek. He was such a smart little boy, and it was clear that he had written that without Edward's help as well. I just wanted to hug him, squeeze him until he complained that he was 'done hugging now'. His precious soul demanded love from anyone who encounters him, and I willingly complied. _I wonder if he knows how much of my heart he has._ There was also a Polaroid that Edward snapped of the kids eating at a non-descript location. No clues were leaked and yet I was allowed to see them safe and sound. Peace of mind and slow, sweet torture all in one message.

I folded his note carefully and began to read Edward's:

 _They miss you, you know, so hurry._

 _I wish I could have seen the relaxed look on your face while you were getting your massage. I bet you looked gorgeous, your smile glowing brilliantly. Which oils did you choose? Did you like the experience? Was it too much? I hope not. You needed that and I know you, you wouldn't have gone there otherwise._

 _I love you. I miss you. Come find me._

Beneath that sweet message was a single sentence: _For your final stop, time to get your hair done; Alice will know where to go._

"Shopping? I didn't sign up for this torture Alice."

"Yes, well, today Edward's in charge so chop, chop." The evil pixie was already changed into her street clothes, when that happened was beyond me. Without further argument, I turned to my clothes to do the same.

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 **AN: I almost posted the wrong chapter. You would have been so confused. Oops! See you in two weeks? Maybe sooner?**

 **Lunar ^_^**


	4. And so the two shall meet

**Welcome back! I forgot that this was upload week *oops***

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 **CHAPTER 4: And so, the two shall meet.**

Esme bade us goodbye, claiming that she was off for a lunch appointment. It was already two in the afternoon, what kind of lunch appointment starts at two p.m.? _Liar, liar._ She was probably going to give Edward an update on my progress. I wasn't the least bit fooled, but I allowed her to think that I was. It was easier that way.

We waited until Esme's taxi had pulled off before we got into my car, Alice at the helm. My limbs felt heavy after that wonderful spa session and for once I was grateful to not be in charge of driving. I was looking forward to having my hair done.

"Before we get to hair, we have a stop to make. Edward doesn't know about this part," I inform her. I had originally intended to run this errand while the kids were at school, but with this change of plans I had to find a way to fit it in now. Alice would be the best person to help me with this trip too, which was lucky. I would have had to either video call her or Rose.

With a smirk, she followed the directions that I gave her. Things were about to get fun.

 **TWO HOURS LATER**

Alice and I had finally finished my side errand, which I hadn't expected to take quite so long. There were too many things to choose from so most of my time was spent walking the floor of the Pink Pussycat Boutique. In the end, I chose three pieces: a red XXX, a navy blue XXX and a nude XXX. After that we stopped off at another boutique where I bought cute pale yellow lace romper to change into after I finished with my hair. It was cute and sexy at the same time, which I felt could work with whatever Edward had planned for this afternoon.

"I texted Edward to let him know that we're behind schedule," she informed me. "Turns out, he's a little bit behind as well. Although I don't know how, he is the one who planned everything."

"Knowing him, he probably got distracted playing with the kids." The love he has for children may be one of his most endearing qualities and I cannot wait for the day that we have our own. The only reason that we don't have any yet was simply down to logistics.

We continued to chat for the remainder of the trip to get my hair done, which turned out to be at Rose's house. I let out a surprised chuckle when I realized that that was where we were heading. Yes, I was confused, but I was also happy for the privacy. I could deposit my purchases and even shower before I finally saw Edward.

My usual hairdresser had set up all of her equipment in the middle of the living room patiently waiting.

"Oh, Bree! I'm so sorry to keep you waiting! I had a few extra stops I wanted to make and time just ran away with me. I hope I didn't keep you back from anything important."

"No, no, it's fine. Rosalie was here keeping me company. She only left about five minutes ago," her smile never wavered as she responded.

"Did you eat? Or can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm fine. Ready to go whenever you are." That was all the cue I needed.

Usually Bree would ask me what kind of look I wanted, not this time. It was clear that she had more information than I did, but I didn't pry. Not this time.

"After this we head to Edward. You excited? Any guesses on what he has planned," asked Alice.

"Not the slightest. I'm going to guess that dinner will be involved, but that's about it." I closed my eyes and zoned out while Bree did her magic. Whatever she was doing felt complicated and I could feel myself beginning to fall asleep. Hannahbelle kept me up late and I was beginning to feel it now.

About an hour later, I was finished getting ready and was instantly rushed back into the car, off to the final mystery location. Even Alice had changed her clothes and done her makeup, which made me think that this was going to be a couples' event; Rose and Em, Alice and Jas, and possibly even Carlisle and Esme tagging along.

Just as I buckled my seatbelt Alice handed me a sleep mask to put over my face.

"You're joking, right?" All that time spent fixing my hair and makeup only to have it ruined by a blind fold. Perfect.

"Do you want to ruin the surprise? I promise your hair and makeup will be fine." I acquiesced, anxious to move things along. Otherwise Alice would lose her patience with me and smack me over my head. Probably.

My poor sense of direction meant that after the second turn I was absolutely lost; the most that I could confidently say about the trip was that there was, typically, unbelievable traffic. The music was enjoyable, though, so I hummed along until I felt the car stop. And still, I wasn't allowed to take off the blindfold. Instead, Alice came around to my door and led me by the hand up three steps.

Someone was playing the piano, I could hear the tinkling of keys. "Can I please take this off now," I begged Alice. She didn't respond but instead placed my hand into a bigger set. Edward's. Finally, I was at home.

The piano music got louder the further in we moved, and the song became clearer. _Is this really happening right now? Am I dreaming?_

"Edward? Edward, what's going on?" A tear slipped down my cheek and, with or without his permission, I ripped the blindfold from my face.

 **EPOV**

I've been planning this night for the past month and a half, and it was finally here. Surprisingly, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. The hardest part of today was being away from her, not being able to contact her, hear her voice. I wanted to see her face as she was carted off from one location to the other. Hiding it from her was also almost impossible. The amount of times I almost slipped up was unbelievable.

"Edward? Edward, what's going on?" A tear slipped down her cheek and I watch as she removed the blindfold. That was my cue.

"Forever can never be long enough for me," I began to sing. "Feel like I've had long enough with you." It was an old song, but it was one of Bella's favorites. To this day, six years after the song came out, it was still a part of her playlist. She would sing it from the top of her lungs, so I knew that this would be the perfect choice. "Now that the weight has lifted / Love has surely shifted my way / Marry me." At this point, Bella was not the only one crying as I sang the words. Even Emmett was teary eyed as he played the piano.

Slowly, I got down on one knee. "Today and every day / Marry me / If I ever get the nerve to say / Hello in this café /Say you will." I opened the ring box and continued, "Isabella Marie Swan, every year that I've spent with you has been the happiest of my life. Each one has gotten better than the last. Make me even happier; be my wife?"

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 **A/N: a cliffhanger, i know. But, honestly, do you really think she'll say no? Ha! Are you enjoying it so far? Anything specific you want to see in the upcoming chapters? See you in two weeks!**


	5. She Said Yes!

**BPOV**

"Yes. A million times yes." He did everything right. He played one of my favorite songs and I was surrounded by some of my favorite people. It was intimate; he chose to propose at Esme and Carlisle's house. If I had planned it for myself, it would not have been this wonderful.

Once my brain started working again, and my tears finally stopped coming, it hit me that this wasn't something that he could have done overnight. _How oblivious have I been?_ I hugged him again, not yet ready to lose physical contact with him just yet. We're getting married. I didn't think he was ready for marriage, we hadn't even talked about it seriously, before now. Sure, we had a few offhand conversations about what our married life would look like, but now, it was going to become a reality.

"Congratulations," said Esme, as she engulfed me in a hug, successfully separating me from Edward. "Now you know why the trip planning kept getting pushed back?" She chuckled and handed me off to the next in line, Alice.

"You little rascal! You couldn't have dropped a hint?" I was amazed that Alice had managed to keep a secret from me. She is the worst at hiding things from me; Edward must have threatened her with something big or promised her something even better. One way to find out: guilt trip.

"I was sworn to secrecy by Edward. Plus, Jas promised me a two week trip to Bali if I kept my mouth shut. Two weeks away from the rest of the world? Yes, please. Also, congrats! It's about damn time you two tied the knot." She'd been complaining that Edward and I act like a married couple ever since we started dating.

"Once it doesn't happen during the wedding, then good for you. You deserve a break." I hug her once more, grateful for her constancy in my life. She was there in my worst moments, and thankfully, she stuck around until it got better. Now we were experiencing this highlight together.

For the next few minutes I'm passed around like a new toy, Edward not far behind, while everyone congratulates us on our engagement. And, being the Cullens, the proposal evolves into an engagement party. Then a tablet was shoved in my hand, Charlie and Sue's faces clearly visible. Somewhere in the background I could hear Jake's voice.

Once all of the congratulations are finally finished, Edward and I are directed towards the dining room. I could tell that whatever was in there would be a surprise to Edward as well because he looked just as confused as I felt. Everyone that needed to be here, or needed to be informed of our engagement, was already here. What was Esme up to?

As we enter the dining room, it becomes clear. The room is full of delicious food, and the bar is stocked with my favorite wine, some brandy and a bartender on hand to make us themed drinks on demand. It wasn't too extravagant, but anything less than this would not qualify as a Cullen event. Of course Esme would find a way to turn this into an event.

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Stuffed beyond the point of comfortable, I was ready to leave. It was well past midnight and it had been quite an eventful day; my eyes had even begun to close as I sat curled up on Edward's lap.

"Ready to go, love," Edward whispered in my ear. "There's one more surprise left." Another surprise?

"Not that I'm complaining, but how long did it take you to plan this?"

"I knew I wanted to do it today, happy anniversary by the way, but I had to work around my work schedule and mom's philanthropy. So, maybe two months, give or take. Then I told everyone once the plans were final." By this point we had said our goodbyes and Edward was leading me towards his car; Esme would drive mine over in the morning.

At some point in the drive I had fallen asleep, only to be awoken by Edward telling me that we had arrived. Except, this was not Rose's house, or Edward's apartment. We were at the Park Lane Hotel on Central Park. This hotel had been on our list of places to stay at some point in the future, once Edward had become fully established in his career, so he already knew that I would love it. My heart thrummed at the romance of it all. He had left no detail to spare. Everything had a significance and showed me, bit by beautiful bit, just how much he loved me.

"I truly am the luckiest girl in the world. And if this is even a fraction of what the rest of our lives together is going to be like, I just might burst from happiness. I wish there were words that could show you how much I love you, in this moment, and beyond. You are my something special mister Cullen."

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 **A/N: I had every intention of updating on time, then I decided that I was going to do Camp** **NaNoWriMo** **and the prep for that consumed me. So, I have decided, to avoid this story suffering, I am not going to upload on here for the month of April. I am not abandoning, I promise, but I wanna win a** **NaNo** **dammit! See you in May!**


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